Landscape question

[Earlmann]

Hi, my wife wants to do some landscape stuff this spring. She thought I would know how to put in a patio. I have never done a patio. She wants brick but I haven't looked in to how to do that. Where do I start and what do I need.

Thanks

Earl

 

[Roy]

I enjoy occasional brickwork, but it takes time and learning (trial-and-error and practice). One simplified (but higher cost) method is to use the pattern grids available through hardware store chains (e.g. Home Depot or Lowe's). They also have instructions and clinics on how to lay.

 

[jyoutz]

There's really 2 ways to do this. You can dry-set bricks or block pavers onto a thin bed of sand (very easy to do, you can't mess up, but results are more rustic). I like the dry-set for areas that might some day have to be removed (like over a water or powerline). The mortar-set brick patio is very refined looking, very expensive, and pretty much has to be done by someone who is very familiar with masonery. If you want more info on the dry-set method, email ma and I will go into detail about what worked for me.

 

[Earlmann]

Thanks i think it will be dry set. I will let you know how it goes if i do it myself.

 

[jyoutz]

With dry set you really can't go wrong, because if you don't like the result, just pick em up and start over. A few tips: Do a good job setting your edges (that will hold everything together). Poured concrete edges 6" wide work best. Fill the borders with sand (between 1/2 and 2" deep-no deeper) and level the sand (this is very important). Lay each brick or block and rap the center with a block of wood and rubber mallet. Go on to the next one. Overlap the wood on adjacent bricks and rap lightly to set both to the same level. Leave a little gap between (1/4"). When you're done setting bricks, pour sand on top and sweep,sweep,sweep with a broom to fill the cracks between with sand. Hose it down with water, let dry, and keep sweeping sand until all cracks are full. Wet it down, and enjoy. In a very short period of time the bricks will set fast and will not move at all (unless you started with too deep of sand bed). That's it, and its easier done than described, just remember to start with a good solid border edge.

 

[Roy]

Poured concrete edges do work best, they will last longest. If looking for a quicker and easier solution (notice I didn't say cheaper), in a lot of situations 6 x 6's will do the job. Dependency is that you that have to tie them together (if shorter stock) and how much frost-heave you get from your soil.

 

[s1120]

We did this at our summer home on cape cod. It was not hard, but it takes a long time to do it right[read level]. My wife spent a whole week doing it. [ I had to work so I just helped on the two weekends]

 

[Thomas]

Paul,
Looks like your wife has the nack for outside projects also.

Now who could that be peeking thru the window...the supervisor. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RobS]

Paul (er, Mrs. Bradway), that looks great. My wife and I did a brick walkway about 10 years ago. It was one of our first "homeowner projects" and we learned a lot. It doesn't look very good now due to some mistakes we made. For anyone doing a brick patio/walk, here's my advice:

1) Rent a power tamper and use it a lot. We used a hand tamper and ended up too tired to use it enough. Result is a lot of uneveness in the bricks as things settled.

2) Use plastic edging that goes under the outer bricks. We used PT 1X4 boards on edge. Over the years the boards have heaved up and have allowed the outer bricks to lean out.

We'll rebuild the walkway in the next year or so as we prepare this house to sell /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>Now who could that be peeking thru the window...the supervisor</font color=red>

No, those two are mad because we got rid of the sand in their yard./w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Now we have grass

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by s1120 on 02/18/01 04:32 PM (server time).</FONT></P>